Car-coupling.



No. 793.592. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905. W. F. KIBSEL, JR. GAR- COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. 1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Z O O a 3 O WWW NWW INVENTOR WITNESSES:

BY A J ATTORNEY No. 793,592. PATENTED JUNE 2'7, 1905. W. F. KIESEL, JR. CAR COUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 5. 1904.

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Ca if WITNESSES: INVENTOR M. a. wwgm 'CBY a ATTORNEY No. 793,592. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

W. P. KIESEL, JR.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 5, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Itl I mm Hll WITNESSES: INVENTOR m. 5. MM mmwmw g I all ATTORNEY UNITED STATES Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT OEEIQE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,592, dated June 27, 1905.

Application filed November 5, 1904:- Serial No. 231,510.

T0 all/1071 0171, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. KIEsEL, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in (Jar Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the centralizing devices whereby the draw-bar and coupler-head are returned to their normal central positions after having been swung to one side or the other when passing around curves or when cars are coupled together when not in true alinement; and the object of my improvements is to provide means whereby both the draw-bar and the coupler-head will be centralized by a single spring and at the same time to provide for a greater extent of lateral motion than that which is possible with the devices now in use.

A further object is to so arrange the coupler-head and centralizing devices with reference to the draw-bar that the draw-bar alone may move laterally or the coupler-head alone may move laterally, or both the coupler-head and draw-bar may have lateral movement, and

when releasedboth the cou pler-head and drawbar will be brought back to their normal central positions by the one centralizing-spring.

I attain my objects by means of the arrangement and construction of the draw-bar and coupler-head connections and centralizing devices as illustrated in the accompanying drawthe left; Fig. 6, a modified form of my centralizing device with the parts shown in vertical longitudinal section; Figs. 7 and 8, plan views of the same with the parts broken away to show the relative arrangement and mode of operation, and Fig. 9 a transverse vertical section on the line 9 y in Fig. 7 with the centralizing-spring removed.

Like numerals designate like parts in the several views.

In Fig. l the numeral 1 designates the end sill of a passenger-car platform or vestibule, beneath which is a shorter end sill 2, against which the ends of the draft-sills 3 3 abut. Attached to the draft-sills is a stirrup-plate 4, which supports the outer end of the draw-bar 5, said draw-bar being pivoted at its inner end at 6 to the draft-yoke 7, which in Figs. 1 and 2 is shown as applied to an ordinary type of draft-gear. The draw-bar5 is bifurcated, and to its free end the coupler-head 8 is pivoted by means of the pivot-pin 9. Between the arms of the draw-bar and pivoted to thepivotpin 9 are two spring-actuated followers 10 10, the extremities 11 of which bear against the plates 13, which are secured inside the draftsills above the stirrup 1. The centralizingspring 12 is held between seats formed on the extremities 11 and acts to throw the followers against the bearing-plates 13, said plates also acting as stops to limit the expansion of the followers. The followers are constructed with inwardly-projecting webs which pass across the center line of the draw-bar and are provided with lips 14. turned in opposite directions and engaged by stops 16, which project inwardly from the upper and lower arms of the drawbar, as shown more clearly in Fig. 41. The coupler-head 8 is chambered to receive the ends of the draw-bar and the followers, said followers acting upon side bearings 15, formed at the opening of the chamber by the vertical sides thereof to hold the coupler-head in its central position. The draw-bar is held in its central position by means of the lips 1 1 on the followers, which exert pulls in opposite directions on the stops 16, as will be readily understood from an inspection of the drawings. The followers are so constructed that when their ends are pressed together to compress the spring their web portions will pass over and under each other. In Fig. 3 the draw-bar is shown thrown over to its extreme left-hand position. For this movement of the bar the stop 16 on the upper arm will have acted upon the lip 14: to force the. right-hand follower toward the left-hand follower to compress the spring. The lefthand follower slides and turns on the plate 13 by reason of the side motion of the pivot-pin 9, thereby maintaining the spring-seats on the twofollowers in alinement with the center line of the spring and also acting to further compress the spring. When the coupler-head -is relieved of its side thrust, the spring will act to throw the followers apart, thereby causing the lip 14 on the upper or right-hand follower to act on the stop 16 on the upper arm of=the draw-bar to force the draw-bar back to its central position. :In the full -line position i the coupler-head is shown in its central or normal alinement with the draw-bar; butit will be evident that the coupler-head-may1havean additionalmovement to theileft or into. the extreme position indicated by the broken lines. .:This independent movement of thecouplerhead, is permitted by reason of the drawing together of the followers, which leaves-a clearance between them and the side bearings 15. If the side thrust on the coupler-head is from left to right, the draw-bar will be swung over to the opposite side from that shown inzFig. 3 andthe stop 16 on the lower. arin of:the draw-bar will .act. on the lip.14 ofthe lefthand follower to. throw said-follower over to the right, and so compress the sprin-g,:and.an additional side motion of the coupler-head to the right will be permissible to the same extent as in the left-hand position. (Shown in Fig. 3.) Alateral motion in the coupler-head independent of the draw-bar is also permissible while thedraw-bar remainsin its central position, since when the coupler-head is swung to either theleft or .rightaround the pivotvpin the side bearings 15.will act onone or. the other of the followers; to compress the spring, the spreading apart of the followerstacting uponthe side bearings to. return the couplerhead :to its. central position .when the side thrust .is released. This sidemotion of the coupler-head independent of the draw-bar is of specialbenefit when.co.upler heads are brought together in coupling cars, as it provides a certain facility. of side motion which relieves the strain on the COUDlGIrhGEIClS that would otherwise take, place when the couplerheads to be .unitedare not in: truealinement.

In the modification shown in .F igs.= 6: to '9, inclusive, 1 have shown .-a shorter .draw-bar and a different construction of' the centralizing-followers. .In thismodification the drawbar is pivoted upon the spring-followerswl8 of the draft-gear, the rear follower being shown pivot-pin=9. The coupler-head is formed with plate h-as before.

and drawebar.

laterally-projecting cu rved arms 19, positioned between the-arms of. the .draw-baraarid in engagement. with the plates :13, which are attached inside the draft-sills above the stirrup- The outer surfaces of the arms 19 are curved, so as to ride upon the side .plates13 when the coupler-head is turned in one direction or the other. These arms on the inside are channeled, so as to support and guide the followersQO. These followers carry at their extremities the centralizing-spring 12 in the same manner as beforedescribed. Instead of the stops 16 on the'draw-bar a pin 22 passes through from arm to arm, the followers being provided with curved slots at 21, through which the pin also passes. At their for-ward ends the followers are provided with -lugs..-23,which rideialong curved surfaces 24, formedat the uppenand-under side of the coupler-head between the arms 19. aIn this modification lateral emotion in the couplerhead takes. place coi.ncident-.with. lateralnnotion in: the ;d raw.bar,..so. that when the coupler-head swings toathe one side .orthe other on the pivot-pin =9 acorresponding lateral .motionwill beimparted' tothe .d IEIW-I-=b&I,-.3.S will be understood moreclearly from-an examina- ..ti.o.n ofzF-ig. 8. When thedraw-bar is thrown over to. one side; the pin 22 will.-act upon one of.-: the followersttov draw it toward. the other,

the lug-.23 onsuchfollower sliding alongtthe concave I surface 24:, ;thereby permitting .a

slight; turning of .thefollower about; the pin. .upon which zit .fulcnums, and bringing its spring-seat into alinement vor approximate al i-nementwith the spring-seat on the other fol-lower,=-which latter follower is moved inward atz the: same time by the. turning movement of: the coupler-head. .The etfortof the spring: to'force thefollowers apart causes the I follower which has .been' thrown .awayfrom the :arm :19: of the. coupler-head toslide back into normal position when i the side: thrust on the couplereheadiis released, thereby drawing the draw-bar.- and coupler-head backto. their central positions.

Of the two 1 forms i herein :shown and .described the first-.is; probab ly=-;more serviceable for passenger-cars, where there isa'long reach .fromthe.idraftssprings to .platform end sill,

and. couplerrhead to return them to their central normal. positions-when released from side thrust andrlany construction of z the parts of the. centralizingadevice.which-will accomplish 1 this result with the use of. b.-ut.one.s-pring-wi1ll .come'within the scope of. :my. invention.

: Having thus described my improved cen- -IOO ITO

tralizing device and without confining myself to the specific details of construction shown and described herein, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A car-coupler comprising a draw-bar mounted to swing laterally, a coupler-head pivoted on the draw-bar, followers mounted on the draw-bar and projecting from each side thereof, a spring between said followers, side bearings to receive the thrust on said followers, and means whereby the followers will be made to approach one another when the coupler-head is thrown out from its central position.

2. A coupler-head comprising a draw-bar mounted to swing laterally, a coupler-head pivoted on the draw-bar, a guideway for the draw-bar, followers mounted on the draw-bar and projecting from each side thereof, and a spring between said followers acting in conjunction with side bearings in the guideway to centralize both the draw-bar and the coupler-head.

3. A car-coupler comprising a draw-bar mounted to swing laterally, a coupler-head pivoted on the end of the draw-bar, a guideway for the draw-bar, a pair of oppositelydisposed followers mounted on the draw-bar and lying between side bearings in the guideway, a spring between said followers acting to spread them apart, and means whereby the draw-bar will move one or the other of said followers to compress the spring when swung to one side or the other.

4. A car-coupler comprising a draw-bar mounted to swing laterally, a coupler-head pivoted on the end of the draw-bar, a pair of followers pivoted on the coupler-head pivotpin, a spring between the free ends of the followers, and stops on the draw-bar and side bearings on the coupler-head engaging the followers, whereby one or the other of the followers is actuated to compress the spring by lateral motion in either the draw-bar or the coupler-head, or both.

5. A car-coupler comprising a bifurcated draw-bar mounted to swing laterally, a coupler-head pivoted on the bifurcated ends of the draw-bar, a pair of followers mounted between the arms of the draw-bar, side bearings to limit the spread of the followers, a coiled spring acting to force the followers apart, and connections between the followers and the draw-bar and coupler-head whereby the lateral displacement thereof will act through the followers to compress the spring. 6. A car-coupler comprising a bifurcated draw-bar mounted to swing laterally, a coupler-head having a chamber to receive the bifurcated ends of the draw-bar, a pivot-pin by which the coupler-head is coupled to the drawbar, a pair of followers mounted between the arms of the draw-bar and also pivoted on said pivot-pin, side bearings to limit the spread of the followers, a coiled spring acting to force the followers apart, and stops on the drawbar and side'bearings on the coupler-head engaging the followers, whereby one or the other of the followers is actuated to compress the spring by lateral motion in either the drawbar or the coupler-head, or both.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. KIESEL, JR. Witnesses:

U. S. DRAYER, A. G. FISHER. 

